Live Nation today announced that U2 will return to select stadiums this year with U2: The Joshua Tree Tour 2017, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the band’s classic album. Each show will include a performance of The Joshua Tree in its entirety.

WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/sssykdiAsVM

U2 The Joshua Tree Tour will appear in Santa Clara, CA on May 17th at Levi’s Stadium with special guest Mumford & Sons. Tickets are on sale Tuesday, January 17th at 10am at Livenation.com, Ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets range from $35.00 to $280.00 plus applicable charges.

Released to universal acclaim on March 9th 1987 and featuring hit singles “With Or Without You”,”I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and “Where The Streets Have No Name”, The Joshua Tree was U2’s first #1 album in the U.S., topping the charts globally including the U.K. and Ireland, selling in excess of 25 million albums worldwide, and catapulting Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr “… from heroes to superstars” (Rolling Stone). Time Magazine put U2 on its cover in April 1987, proclaiming them “Rock’s Hottest Ticket” in a defining year for the band that saw their arena dates roll into stadium shows to accommodate escalating demand – setting them on course to become one of the greatest live acts in the world today. The 12 months that followed saw the band create now-iconic moments: the traffic-stopping Grammy Award-winning music video on the roof of a Los Angeles liquor store, winning a BRIT Award and two Grammys – including Album of the Year – their first of 22 received to date, distinguishing U2 as the most awarded rock band in Grammy history.

U2’s fifth studio album The Joshua Tree was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, and featured iconic artwork which cemented the career of photographer and director Anton Corbijn. Recording took place in Dublin at Windmill Lane Studios and Danesmoate, the house which subsequently became bassist Adam Clayton’s home.

“It seems like we have come full circle from when The Joshua Tree songs were originally written, with global upheaval, extreme right wing politics and some fundamental human rights at risk. To celebrate the album – as the songs seem so relevant and prescient of these times too – we decided to do these shows, it feels right for now. We’re looking forward to it.” – The Edge

“Recently I listened back to The Joshua Tree for the first time in nearly 30 years… it’s quite an opera. A lot of emotions which feel strangely current, love, loss, broken dreams, seeking oblivion, polarisation… all the greats… I’ve sung some of these songs a lot… but never all of them. I’m up for it, if our audience is as excited as we are… it’s gonna be a great night.”- Bono

“We are off to play a few shows with U2! It’s the 30th anniversary of The Joshua Tree – one of the greatest albums ever made, in our opinion, and something well worth a good celebration. It’s a record that did so much for us all when we discovered it individually and if ever a record stands the test of time its that one. So when the lads gave us a call to invite us to play a few gigs opening for them it was our great honour to accept. It’s gonna be such a good few nights… ” – Mumford & Sons

Following the groundbreaking iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour’s arena shows in 2015, U2: The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 will see the band return to the stadium stage for the first time since 2009-2011’s record-shattering U2 360° Tour, the most successful tour in history seen by over 7.3 million fans worldwide.

U2: The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 will kick off in Vancouver on 12th May for a run of dates across North America and Europe, and will include U2’s first ever U.S. festival headline appearance at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival this summer, as well as a hometown show in Dublin’s Croke Park on 22nd July.

Tickets will be general admission on the floor and reserved seating in the stands. There will be a 4 ticket limit for subscriber purchases and a 6 ticket limit commencing with public sales.

In North America, all floor tickets will be paperless unless otherwise noted.

U2: The Joshua Tree Tour is produced by Live Nation Global Touring. UPS is the Official Logistics Provider of the tour.

Music icon, Grammy Award winner and Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Member, Neil Diamond, will celebrate his unparalleled career spanning 50 years with a world tour. The 50 Year Anniversary World Tour includes two shows in Northern California: July 30 at SAP Center at San Jose and August 2 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Tickets are $149.50, $99.50, $59.50 and $39.50 plus applicable charges.

American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets for The 50 Year Anniversary World Tour before the general public now through Thursday, December 8 at 10:00 pm. Tickets for The 50 Year Anniversary World Tour go on sale December 9 at 10am at www.livenation.com.

“Neil Diamond is more than just a music icon. His singular artistry and talent has left an indelible mark on American culture and has helped shape the sound of popular music for five decades,” says Michael Rapino, President and Chief Executive Officer of Live Nation Entertainment. “Live Nation is honored to be a part of bringing his 50 year anniversary tour to fans around the world.”

Throughout an illustrious and wide-ranging musical career, Neil Diamond has sold over 125 million albums worldwide and has charted 37 Top 40 singles and 16 Top 10 albums both in the U.S. and internationally. A Grammy Award-winning artist, Diamond is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the highest honors bestowed upon songwriters. Diamond’s many other achievements include a Golden Globe Award, 13 Grammy nominations and 2009’s NARAS’s MusiCares Person of the Year award. In 2011, Diamond received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor for his lifetime of contributions to American culture.

Caitlyn Jenner attends the Moschino Spring/Summer 17 Menswear and Women’s Resort Collection during MADE LA at L.A. Live Event Deck on June 10, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Kevin Winter/Getty)

Caitlyn Jenner has opened up about how she still “loves” her former self, as she graces the cover of the new Sports Illustrated.

The 66-year-old star, formally athlete Bruce, made the brave decision to transform into a woman at the beginning of 2015, unveiling her new appearance on the front of Vanity Fair in July.

She’s now landed another big magazine cover, posing for the latest issue of Sports Illustrated 40 years after she won the gold medal for the decathlon at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games as Bruce. Wearing a sparkling gold jumpsuit with the honor around her neck, Caitlyn tells the publication that she’ll always look back on her past achievements and persona in a positive light.

“I loved Bruce,” she explained. “I still love him today. I like what he did and the way he set an example for hard work and dedication. I’m proud of that part of my life. But this woman was living inside me, all my life, and it reached the point where I had to let her live and put Bruce inside. And I am happier, these last 12 months, than I’ve ever been in my life.”

A short documentary accompanies the interview, during which Caitlyn describes her decathlon win as the “ultimate in what people think of as manhood.” Amid her triumph she found herself hiding from her true longings, admitting she tried to bury the woman living inside of her at the time.

She doesn’t regret her athletic career though, and was fully aware that the 1976 Games would be the last she’d participate in.

“I kept thinking, ‘Hold on to the moment, hold on to the moment. Remember this moment, it’s going to be over so quickly. You’ve got a long life to live after this,'” she recalled.

Caitlyn also confessed that for a while she struggled to merge her post-Olympics life with her past and that she kept “throwing out” former moments like they never happened. Now she’s out in the open, with support from family members like daughters Kendall, 20, and Kylie, 18, Caitlyn is keen to move forward and make a difference in the transgender world.

“This is an issue that is an issue of humanity, of mankind,” she stated. “This issue doesn’t have borders. This issue is all over the world. And yeah, I would have to say the little bit of competitive Bruce still living down inside me, I couldn’t have done it without him, that’s for sure.”

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JUNE 26: (Exclusive Coverage) Lady Gaga (R) joins his Holiness the Dalai Lama (L) to speak to US Mayors about kindness at JW Marriott on June 26, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Born This Way Foundation)

LADY GAGA has reportedly been “banned” by Chinese authorities after meeting with the DALAI LAMA.

The “Bad Romance” singer has allegedly been added to a list of “hostile foreign forces” banned by China’s Communist party after she appeared at an event alongside the exiled Tibetan leader over the weekend.

The American pop singer, who has sold more than 27 million albums worldwide, attended the U.S. Conference of Mayors on Sunday in Indianapolis, to discuss the importance of compassion, and later posted a video of their meeting on her Facebook account.

However, the pair’s peace summit sparked an angry reaction from Beijing, according to editors at Britain’s The Guardian newspaper.

Chinese websites and media organizations were also ordered to “stop uploading or distributing her songs” and party-controlled news outlets such as state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) and newspapers the People’s Daily and the Global Times were ordered to condemn the meeting, alleges Apple Daily.

The Dalai Lama is an unpopular figure in China after fleeing to India in 1959 and establishing a Tibetan government.

Following Gaga’s meeting with the spiritual leader, several fans took to social media to take aim at her.

“She has not considered Chinese fans,” one social media user wrote, while another one added, “she has given up on the Chinese market.” However, some fans have come to her defense, writing, “We should respect all of her choices.”

CHICAGO, IL – JUNE 25: Selena Gomez performs during The Revival Tour at United Center on June 25, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images)

PAUL RUDD had no idea how big a star SELENA GOMEZ was until he filmed new movie THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CARING with her.

The “Ant-Man” star knew his castmate was popular, but had no idea she was a really big deal until he witnessed her fame at first hand.

“I’m so out of touch,” Paul admits to Variety. “It wasn’t until we were filming and I saw thousands of people turning out to try and see her that I realized what a phenomenon she is. To see her deal with that kind of fame, I came away even more impressed with her. She’s extraordinary.”

Director Rob Burnett also praised the 23-year-old’s talents, saying Selena is “only at the beginning of her talents.”

In the film, the “Ant-Man” star plays an out-of-work novelist who is charged with looking after a foul-mouthed, wheelchair-bound teenager on a road trip. Selena plays a young runaway who joins their adventure.

And while Paul was left in awe by Selena’s acting skills, he also enjoyed their time together off-screen – she previously told Vulture that during their nights off, they would bond by hunting for ghosts using an app that allows wannabe spook hunters to track down ghouls.

“The most memorable experiences I had with the gang were just being in random motels, hotels, abandoned places…” Selena said. Paul added, “Those are good bonding times for all of us sitting in this hotel room.”

“And then we got the ghost app, remember?” Selena giggled. “We were hunting ghosts, and he humored me so I could believe it was real.”

But superstitious Selena is convinced they really did stumble upon something from the other side, adding, “I think her name was Cathy or something?” Paul admitted he was instantly hooked on the ghost finder app: “You get it on your phone and if you’re near a ghost, it would tell you.”

“At 3am anything is entertaining,” Selena laughed.

“The Fundamentals of Caring” received positive reviews when it screened at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and it is now available to stream on Netflix.

NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 18: E.L. James signs copies of her new book “Grey” at Barnes & Noble, 5th Avenue on June 18, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/WireImage)

E. L. JAMES’ FIFTY SHADES OF GREY books and movies have made her more than $69 million.

Editors at British newspaper The Daily Mirror report the author’s company Fifty Shades Limited earned £30 million last year alone after selling the rights for book.

It was made into a film starring actress Dakota Johnson and British star Jamie Dornan, and filming is underway on the sequels, “Fifty Shades Darker,” which is in production for a 2017 release, and “Fifty Shades Freed.”

Documents obtained by The Daily Mirror reveal James, real name Erika Mitchell, reportedly earned $6.4 million, from the film deal. After paying a tax bill of $6.6 million and giving away £1 million in charitable donations, the outlet reports she was still left with a profit of £19 million by the end of September 2015. The company’s balance sheet now stands at a reported $69 million dollars (£52 million). James owns all of the company’s shares.

James, 53, lives with her husband, TV drama and comedy screenwriter Niall Leonard and their two sons in a $3.5 million home in west London.

NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 20: NEW YORK, NY: Actor Tom Hiddleston attends the premiere of “High-Rise” at SVA Theatre during the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival on April 20, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images,)

TAYLOR SWIFT and TOM HIDDLESTON enjoyed a Roman holiday on Monday as they continued their loved-up European getaway.

After landing in Italy, Hollywood’s new ‘It’ couple decided to take in the sights of the capital city, beginning with a visit to the Colosseum.

Although Taylor and Tom were flanked by security guards, fans managed to sneakily snap photos of the two strolling hand-in-hand and posted the evidence on social media.

In the pictures, both the “Style” singer and her new beau were all smiles, as Taylor donned a bright yellow sun dress and the actor looked suave in a white-button down shirt and black slacks.

Their stop in Rome comes days after Taylor, 26, arrived in Tom’s native U.K. to meet his mother Diana on Friday.

Pictures featured the two walking on either side of Diana with their arms wrapped around her as they walked down a path near her home in Ipswich in Suffolk, England. The trio was beaming and Tom’s mum had her arms around both her son and the pop star.

And just before their U.K. visit, Tom, 35, reportedly met Taylor’s parents Andrea and Scott when he visited her adopted home of Nashville, Tennessee. While in the city, they were also spotted dancing with different pals at her best friend Selena Gomez’s concert on Tuesday, and also got cozy at dinner with her friends on Thursday.

The couple’s whirlwind romance was first revealed earlier this month when pictures emerged of them kissing and cuddling on a beach in Rhode Island, just two weeks after Taylor’s split from Scottish DJ Calvin Harris was made public.

NEW YORK – 1977: Former Beatle John Lennon poses for a photo with his wife Yoko Ono and son Sean Lennon in 1977 in New York City, New York. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

A shirt spattered with the blood of late BEATLES star JOHN LENNON has sold at auction for £31,000 ($40,819).

The white button down shirt was worn by concierge Jay Hastings as part of his uniform while he worked at The Dakota building in New York. Hastings was on duty on December 8, 1980, when singer Lennon was shot by deranged fan Mark Chapman as he and wife Yoko Ono entered the porch of The Dakota to go up to their flat. After being shot twice in the back and twice in the shoulder, Lennon stumbled into the entranceway, where Hastings covered the musician with his suit jacket. In his attempt to aid the ailing star, some of Lennon’s blood seeped into the shirt on its chest and sleeves.

The shirt is still owned by Hastings, but he recently decided to sell the macabre item at auction. While it was expected to reach in the region of £7,000 ($9,216) as the auction took place on Saturday, it eventually sold for a staggering £31,000, according to Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper.

Garry Shrum, of Heritage Auctions, said: “Jay Hastings kept this shirt all these years and never really spoke about it. It has just been sitting in a drawer for years and now he is getting older he felt it was time to sell it.

“There are remnants of blood on the shirt. Some people might be appalled but it’s a piece of history. We did ask ourselves ‘is this too dark or wrong to sell’ but I don’t think it is.

“He is not exploiting John Lennon’s death. He is telling the story of how he tried to help John Lennon in the last few minutes of his life.”

The auction sale also included a copy of the album Double Fantasy – which includes a handwritten message that reads: “To Jay, Love John Lennon Yoko Ono”.

In addition, the buyer, who is believed to have chosen to stay anonymous, bought a 1978 Thanksgiving card from Lennon, complete with a doodle and John’s signature, and a typed letter from Ono thanking the staff of the building for their help two weeks after the singer’s death.

The German magicians, real names Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Uwe Horn, were an institution in Las Vegas before an on-stage tiger attack brought their careers to an abrupt end, and they have now signed a deal for a film version of their colorful lives.

The director of 2013 period drama “The Physician,” Philipp Stolzl, and screenwriter Jan Berger have signed onto the project for German studio UFA Fiction, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Stolzl told the outlet in a statement: “The image of Siegfried and Roy floating down onto the stage in their fantastical outfits, landing amidst a pack of snow-white tigers, has been burned into my mind since I was a boy. It was truly out of this world.”

Siegfried and Roy’s high octane magic show involved white lions and tigers, and made them global stars. The Vegas production ran for 13 years until Roy was allegedly attacked by a seven-year-old white tiger called Montecore, during a live performance.

Roy was left partially paralyzed by the attack and, after a brief comeback in 2010, the pair retired from show-business. The tiger was not put down at the magician’s request and survived until its death of natural causes in 2014.

Stolzl added: “Being able to tell the story of Siegfried and Roy, covering all their successes, desires and dreams, is a wonderful gift that comes with a special set of challenges for me as a director.”

Visual effects company Pixomondo, which has worked on TV shows “Game of Thrones” and “The Walking Dead,” will handle special effects on the project.

]]>http://blog.sfgate.com/dailydish/2016/06/27/siegfried-and-roy-biopic-in-the-works/feed/0100908Diane Kruger: ‘I’ve yet to be paid the same as a male co-star’http://blog.sfgate.com/dailydish/2016/06/27/diane-kruger-ive-yet-to-be-paid-the-same-as-a-male-co-star/
http://blog.sfgate.com/dailydish/2016/06/27/diane-kruger-ive-yet-to-be-paid-the-same-as-a-male-co-star/#respondMon, 27 Jun 2016 18:38:19 +0000http://blog.sfgate.com/dailydish/?p=100905

BERLIN, GERMANY – MAY 27: Actress Diane Kruger during the Lola – German Film Award (Deutscher Filmpreis) 2016 – Show on May 27, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Franziska Krug/Getty Images for Jaeger-LeCoultre)

DIANE KRUGER has weighed in on the equal pay debate rocking Hollywood, claiming she’s never been compensated the same amount as her male co-stars for her work.

The German actress made a name for herself in the movie business with features like 2004’s epic “Troy” and Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 war film “Inglourious Basterds.” While she has a stream of work lined up as well as brand ambassador contracts for the likes of L’Oreal and Calvin Klein, the 39-year-old asserts that not only isn’t she paid the same as her male counterparts, she has had to deal with a level of backlash whenever she demands equality.

“I have yet to be paid the same amount as a male co-star. And absolutely I’ve been labeled a b—, or difficult to work with, when I’ve spoken up about something,” she told Town & Country magazine. “Or it’s, ‘She doesn’t really know what she’s talking about.'”

The issue of wage inequality has become a hot topic in the film industry ever since Patricia Arquette delivered a rousing call for equal pay at the 2015 Academy Awards. Other big names such as Jennifer Lawrence, Sandra Bullock and Jessica Chastain have all spoken out about pay gap, with some victories made, such as Charlize Theron reportedly successfully negotiating to be paid the same amount as Chris Hemsworth in “The Huntsman: Winter’s War.”

Further in her interview, Diane talked about how meeting her partner Joshua Jackson came at a pivotal time in her life. The pair, who have previously spoken about their reluctance to get married, started dating in 2006 right after Diane divorced French actor Guillaume Canet.

“Meeting someone like my partner, who has a very different perspective, who likes to travel in a different way and be open to various experience, was so important,” she shared.

Prior to meeting Joshua, Diane felt she was going through an identity crisis because she realized she was living her life in a bubble and had a “very privileged life.”

“I (didn’t) know anything about what (was) really going on in the world and I (didn’t) ask enough questions,” she said, adding that was the moment she decided to make a change and “cut people out of my life who I felt were enabling my bubble.”

Actor Channing Tatum speaks during “bred for content” seminar hosted by UTA during The Cannes Lions 2016 on June 23, 2016 in Cannes, France. (Romain Perrocheau/Getty)

Channing Tatum has criticized the six-month sentence former Stanford University student Brock Turner received after being found guilty of sexual assault.

The “Magic Mike” actor joined the backlash against the sentence handed down to the former Stanford swimmer in an interview with Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Joanna Coles in France last week.

Judge Aaron Persky provoked widespread outrage after he sentenced the 20-year-old to just six months in prison and three years probation after Turner was convicted of three sexual assault felonies in March.

Tatum, 36, shared his disbelief at the sentencing, and discussed the concept of rape culture with Coles, reports website People.com. “I really think it’s a horrible, horrible idea to let someone off because of possibly what they’re gonna be capable of doing,” he explained. “Because if you start doing that, where do you end? Where does that stop? Where is that line? Where does that line actually quit?”

Although prosecutors asked for a sentence of six years in prison, Persky justified not giving the elite swimmer a longer sentence by saying it would have a “severe impact” on Turner.

Tatum told Coles he couldn’t believe how light the sentencing was nor the reason the judge gave for being so lenient.

“I just couldn’t believe it,” Tatum shared. “This is like if you killed someone, if you got caught red-handed murdering someone, and then just because you went to a nice school and you were a good swimmer, you somehow get a lesser sentence than what you would’ve for cold-blooded murder. I mean, that doesn’t make any sense.”

The actor, who has a three-year-old daughter Everly with wife Jenna Dewan-Tatum added: “I don’t think it’s right. I think he should’ve been punished, personally, but I also don’t know what the answer is to protect women, to keep you out of those situations.”

Tatum’s comments have been echoed by Vice President Joe Biden, Lena Dunham and Turner’s victim herself who, among many others, have criticized the judge’s handling of the case.

NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 24: Steven Tyler of Aerosmith visits at SiriusXM Studio on June 24, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images)

Rocker STEVEN TYLER has confirmed reports AEROSMITH will bow out after a farewell tour in 2017.

The singer phoned into The Howard Stern Show earlier this week to chat about his upcoming solo country album and told the satellite radio host he was hanging up the mic with the rock supergroup.

“I love this band, I really do, and I want to squash every thought that anybody might have about this,” he said, “but we’re doing a farewell tour, only because it’s time.”

He then poked fun at bands like The Who and Kiss, whose farewell tours lacked finality, joking the last Aerosmith trek would last “probably forever.”

Tyler hinted at his plans in a Rolling Stone interview last month, stating, “I’m doing 30 (solo) shows from May until August, and then in 2017 we go out with Aerosmith. We’re probably doing a farewell tour. Look, there’s two bands that still have the original members, us and the Stones. I’m grateful for that. Whether we do a farewell tour or go into the studio and do another record, I’m just excited about it.”

His bandmate Joe Perry has already started making exit plans for life after Aerosmith – he has teamed up with Johnny Depp and Alice Cooper to form The Hollywood Vampires.